VIMS launches its cutting-edge seawater lab

A cutting-edge, $2.8 million seawater lab got its official launch over the weekend, giving students and scientists more ideal conditions under which to study marine life.

The Eastern Shore Seawater Laboratory is unique for being built mere feet from a coastal inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in the seaside village of Wachapreague in Accomack County.

"The sharks are right here, the lab is right here, the seawater's right here," marine scientist Rich Brill said in a prepared statement. "If you're working with sharks or other coastal and open-ocean species, this is the place to be."

Brill is a researcher with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point, which is affiliated with the College of William & Mary. The new lab is part of VIMS' Eastern Shore Laboratory.

At Saturday's dedication ceremony, William & Mary president Taylor Reveley said the lab promises "vital contributions to the health of the Chesapeake Bay, the coastal ocean, and Virginia's fisheries."

The main lab building itself runs 7,597 square feet, but with its pump house and large deck spans 12,500 square feet. It can pump up to 1,840 gallons of high-salinity seawater per minute, allowing researchers to study marine organisms under nearly natural conditions.

Because of its oceanside location, it's built to be flood-resistant, and withstand floodwaters up to 14 feet above mean sea level. Its roofing is sloped to withstand winds from hurricanes.

Construction began in April 2010, and was essentially completed in February this year.